Simplified Automated Material Handling System:

Magnetic Wheels based Overhead Transportation Concept

Alexander H. Slocum1 , Shorya Awtar2

Abstract
Automation in various forms constitutes the backbone of most major industries. An
increase in production volume, product variety and manufacturing process complexity
necessitates automation to ensure consistency and profitable production. Automated
material handling becomes a crucial aspect of factory automation because it frees up
manual labor, streamlines the flow of material, allows for complexity management,
reduces work in progress (WIP) and improves the utilization of expensive equipment.
Existing material handling solutions typically cater to specific industries and can also be
exorbitantly expensive. There is an emerging need for affordable automated material
handling in smaller industries, and in hitherto unconventional settings like homes, offices
and hospitals. The keys for an automation technology that can meet the widespread
demands of such varied customers are simplicity, flexibility and integrability. With this in
mind, we present a very simple yet versatile material transportation concept. We propose
an overhead ceiling-based trackless transportation system that uses vehicles with
magnetic wheels. The concept is developed following the principles of deterministic
mechatronic design. Due to its inherent simplicity and judging from its extremely wide
applicability, we propose an 'open hardware' environment so that the concept can be
developed in a manner similar to the Linux Operating System.

Introduction and Background

Automation is becoming a growing need across various industries. It has assumed
significant levels to meet the trends of ever- increasing production volume and product
variety. At the same time, products have become more and more sophisticated and hence
demand complex and multiple-stage manufacturing processes. Added to these challenges
is the pressing need to maintain high profitability, which in turn requires high yields,
lower lead times and improved equipment utilization. In such a scenario, automated
material transportation becomes a crucial aspect of factory automation because it frees up
manual labor, streamlines the production processes, allows for complexity management,
reduces inventory and improves the payback on expensive equipment before they become
obsolete. Manual operations can go only so far, beyond which it becomes impossible to
make any further improvements in the productivity and profits. Furthermore, ergonomic
as well as labor considerations limit the indiscriminate use of manual force.
Consequently, as they grow in size many industries tend to seek simple and efficient
material handling (MH) solutions.
1

Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Precision Engineering Research Group, Massachusetts Institute of

Technology
2
Doctoral Candidate, Precision Engineering Research Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT Confidential

One of the earliest examples of automated material transportation comes from the
automobile industry where the introduction of moving assembly line revolutionized the
face of the industry [1]. Production volumes and profits soared as a result of this efficient
streamlining of material flow. A more recent and very relevant example is that of
automation in semiconductor manufacturing. The US semiconductor industry was on the
verge of stagnation when an industry-wide collaborative effort backed by the
SEMATECH paved the path for widespread automation [2]. This systematic automation
of wafer fabs has helped to spur the phenomenal growth that the semiconductor industry
has witnessed over the last decade. There are significant lessons to be learnt from this
case. It exemplifies the importance of defining standards and protocols for large-scale
automation to be possible.
There are many emerging industries and unconventional arenas that are now finding
automation necessary. The photonics industry, for example, is facing an acute crisis in the
lack of an efficient automation technology and a set of well-defined automation standards
[2]. The manufacturers of photonics devices are finding it difficult to produce large
volumes profitably, so as to meet the increasing market demands. A similar situation is
arising hospitals and clinical labs, where an increase in volume of material that needs to
be moved has raised a concern with the material handling personnel. Complexity
management in material movement is becoming an increasingly difficult task. Thus many
hospital administrations are eagerly looking forward to automate the transport of samples,
reports and documents, instruments and even patients3 . Medical associations are also
keen on developing operation theaters (OT) of the future [3]. These shall incorporate
automated transfer of machines, equipments and lights, wireless technology for
communication, automated drug delivery systems, and possibly a reconfigurable
overhead ballroom of medical equipment. The ultimate objective is to make operations
more time-efficient and convenie nt for surgeons, reduce the number of medical personnel
required in the OT, and improve the quality of service provided to patients by using
intelligent machines4 . Automated material handling is also finding increasing uses in
health care, a prime example being comfortable movement of patients. Flexible motion
systems also have a significant potential in architectural applications 5 . Flexible lighting
systems that can easily be reconfigured under computer control promise to be of great
value to architects who design public spaces, offices, hospitals and performance theaters.
This not only adds to the aesthetic value of an architectural design but can also lead to
considerable savings in power consumption, thus leading to an energy efficient design.
Clearly, there is a growing need for automated transportation systems. There do exist
quite a few material handling solutions in the market, some of which are listed in the
references [4-13]. These solutions are exclusive in the sense that they cater to specific
industries whereas the need for such technology, as we have noted, is widespread.
Furthermore, these solutions are very expensive and therefore are justifiable only in
applications for which they are tailored. It is a well-known fact that for any new
automa tion technology to be incorporated in a factory, it has to meet the so-called 'cost
3

Based on discussions with materials handling division at Massachusetts General Hospital

Based on discussions with Reuben Mezrich, M.D., Ph.D, CIMIT Forum
5
Based on discussions with Ken Kaplan, Architect
4

MIT Confidential

vs. performance' requirements. The basic question that arises is: Does the improvement in
performance due to the added technology justify the initial investment and subsequent
maintenance costs?
Fig. 1 shows representative cost vs. performance curves for a given technology [14]. As
long as the user operates around the knee region of the curve, economic sense prevails.
Beyond this region, the technology is simply too expens ive to justify the improved
performance. While a given technology might make economic sense for one particular
industry, it is likely that the same technology will not be the optimum choice for a
different industry. This is precisely the case with most cur rent material handling
solutions. For example, the automated material handling (AMH) systems used in the
wafer fabs of IC manufacturers are specifically designed, both in terms of cost and
performance, such that they are suitable for use in cleanrooms. However, even a sibling
industry, the Testing, Assembly & Packaging (TAP) segment of IC manufacturing is not
able to use the cleanroom AMH solutions because these do not meet the economic
requirements of the TAP factories.
Similarly, most existing solutions are specifically tailored to the needs of particular
industries rendering them of little use to other areas that are hungry for automation. If the
need is not limited to a few high-end applications why should the solutions be? Why can't
there be an inexpensive yet highly versatile generic automation system that can cater to a
very wide range of industries and applications? This is the motivation behind our current
research. We seek to develop simple automated material handling solutions that promise
a very high degree of flexibility and integrability at low cost.

Fig. 1 Cost vs. performance curves

MIT Confidential

1.1 New System Functional Requirements

Based on literature review and discussions with representatives from various industries,
we have compiled a wish list for a new automation systems functional requirements. The
end user here can be hospital management seeking to automate the transportation of test
samples, documents and reports, surgical instruments, or even patients. The end user can
also be an IC manufacturer that aims to improve its yield, lead times and equipment
utilization by means of automating wafer transportation. These needs may take different
quantitative forms, but in most cases the basic requirements can be qualitatively
summarized as follows:

Simple System: A simple system leads to lower initial investments and lower
subsequent maintenance costs.
High performance: The system should be capable of high performance in terms of
speed of transportation and complexity management. The system should be robust so
that it can operate in relatively harsh as well as variable settings. Above all, it has to
meet strict safety protocols. All these factors lead to improved productivity and
profits.
Extendibility, Flexibility and Scalability (EFS): These enable a seamless integration
of the automation solution in an existing facility without demanding unreasonable
changes in the infrastructure. The system must be capable of replacing manual
material handling which is inherently very flexible.

The battle between cost and performance is the biggest impediment to automation. Since
material handling is non-value adding to the product, the productivity advantages
resulting from automation have to break even with the installation and maintenance costs.
The next obvious issue is then to ask what is needed to meet the above cost and
performance requirements. There are three key links in the 'big picture' of automation.
These are essential to the successful implementation of an automation strategy:

A technology that meets the cost vs. performance requirements: A very simple system
with a high degree of operational flexibility is needed.
Good productivity and cost models for the client industry: These are essential to test
the effectiveness of any automation scheme before it is bought by an end user.
Automation standards: Integration of the automation technology in an existing factory
is possible only if the equipment and communication interfaces are based on certain
industry-wide protocols.

The task of developing an industry-wide simplified automated material transportation

system is evidently formidable, and inventing the necessary technology constitutes only a
part of the solution. The overall challenge of automation can be tackled by the collective
efforts of various participants from the industry and academia. Yet we think that the
conceptualization of the necessary technology can act as a catalyst to drive all the other
factors needed for automation development. We therefore present an automation concept,
which can potentially set the widespread generic automation efforts rolling. Furthermore,

MIT Confidential

we propose a collaborative effort in developing this automation technology as part of an

'open hardware' consortium. This is similar to concept of open source-code software,
for example Linux. This would facilitate a systematic and concurrent development of
automation standards and simulation models along with the necessary hardware and
software technology, all of which are essential ingredients of a successful automation
strategy.

Solution Approach
The above discussions clearly indicate the need for a simple technology for material
transportation that can deliver the desired high performance. Referring back to the cost
vs. performance curve for a technology (Fig.1), our objective is to push the knee of the
curve further to the right by introducing a simple yet novel concept. While simplicity in
design promises to keep the costs low, novelty in ideas can provide the high performance.
We handle the cha llenge of developing such a technology by invoking the fundamental
principles of deterministic design and mechatronics design. As shown in Fig.2,
deterministic design leads to a systematic funneling of creativity based on two key
guidelines: continuous risk assessment; and systematic collection, creation and analysis
of design information [15]. In deterministic design, we start with strategies to meet the
functional requirements; this is followed by generation of concepts to implement the best
strategy. To realize the best concept we generate engineering modules, and finally we
come up with components that are the building blocks for these modules. At each level
there is immense room for creativity in the form of idea generation. This brainstorming is
followed by thorough risk assessment and analysis to select the best of all ideas. This
procedure eliminates risk and redundancy, and ensures an appropriate allocation of
resources, thus resulting in simple, cost-efficient, high performance and reliable
machines.
Mechatronics design, as illustrated in Fig. 3, is a synergistic integration of mechanics,
electronics, controls and microprocessor technology [16]. It involves the use of sensing,
actuating and controlling technologies to significantly augment the performance of
machines. The concurrent nature of this design methodology keeps the costs and risks of
development low. Based on the functional requirements listed earlier, and these design
methodologies we now present a magnetic wheels based overhead transportation system
concept.

MIT Confidential

Fig.2 Deterministic Design: Funneling of Creativity

Fig. 3 Mechatronics Design: Integration of Diverse Disciplines6

Reproduced with permission from Prof. Kevin Craig, Mechanical Engineering, RPI

MIT Confidential

Magnetic Whe el based Overhead Transportation System

Background and Overview
The idea of using magnetic wheels for driving vehicles on ceilings, walls and pressure
vessels is well established. In the past, inventors have presented very interesting magnetic
wheel designs ranging from very simple assemblies to highly sophisticated modules [1723]. One of the primary objectives in most designs is to maximize the magnetic attraction
force using a permanent magnet of given strength. There also exists a multitude of
vehicle designs that exploit the attraction forces generated by magnetic wheels. As
expected these designs range widely in size and complexity. Most magnet-wheel based
vehicle designs use three or four wheels, and incorporate additional steering mechanisms
making the designs reasonably complicated [23-29]. Literature search indicates that most
of the magnetic wheel based devices that have been developed in the past are limited to
performing mundane tasks like flaw detection, straight-line welding, and so on. Quite a
few toys have also been developed on the basis of these ideas [30].
While the concept of ceiling based transportation using magnetic wheels is old, it has
never been employed for industrial automation. We propose to take this concept a step
further by developing it for factory wide material handling. Because of its inherent
simplicity we are convinced that it can meet the functional requirements, i.e., customer
demands, if developed appropriately.
In order to greatly simplify the design, reduce costs, and increase flexibility, a fleet of
vehicles, each of which hangs from a ferromagnetic ceiling by means of two magnetic
wheels, is proposed. Independent control of the two drive wheels is used to move the
vehicle from one location to another, produce the desired amount of steering and also
control pendulum motion. Multiple vehicles operate in an overhead ballroom
configuration. Motion is not restricted to tracks and the vehicles are free to move
anywhere on the ceiling. The control system can be designed to enable the vehicles to
traverse ramps, thus eliminating the need for elevators to move between different levels
of ceilings. Each vehicle can be connected to any payload by means of a standardized
kinematic coupling interface. This concept allows for an immense degree of flexibility
and expandability in material transportation. The vehicles communicate with each other
and with a central server by means of a wireless protocol. A collision-avoidance
optimization algorithm computes the vehicle paths in real-time. The vehicle traffic
control software can be integrated with the Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM)
system, to program the vehicles such that the transport time is minimized and the
equipment utilization is maximized. The transportation system operates on the ceiling
without demanding any valuable floor space. We now proceed to discuss the various
components and aspects of this concept in further detail.

MIT Confidential

Fig. 4 Magnetic Wheels based Overhead Transportation Concept

Magnetic Wheel
A simple magnetic wheel is assembled by attaching concentric steel washers to the sides
of a cylindrical permanent magnet roller. The washer diameter is slightly larger than the
magnet diame ter so that when the assembly is placed on a ferromagnetic surface, only the
washers are in contact with the surface and not the magnet itself. The washers focus and
direct the magnetic flux by providing a low reluctance path, thus improving the attraction
force for a given magnetic strength. This idea is illustrated in Fig. 5. Such a magnet
wheel assembly also ensures that instead of a cylinder rolling on the surface we now have
two knife-edges rolling on the surface. This feature accommodates ceiling surfaces that
are not perfectly flat. Furthermore, the driving of the wheels is no longer entirely
dependent on friction. The magnetic wheel assembly ensures a high normal attractive
force, which in turn provides high traction even in the absence of a good coefficient of
friction.

MIT Confidential

Fig. 5 Magnetic Flux distribution for a PM roller with and without steel washers
Rare earth permanent magnets, for example Neodymium-Iron-Boron based ma gnets, that
have an extremely high energy density can be used for this application. A single magnetic
roller can provide as high as 50 pounds of attractive force. The price of such a magnetic
wheel assembly is estimated to be on the order of $100 [31], which is quite reasonable.
The possibility of using electromagnets can also be considered, although that makes the
assembly more complicated. The attractive forces in this latter case are incumbent on a
continuous power supply, which might become a severe limitation. In either case, the
ceiling can be made of a ferromagnetic stainless steel for high durability and corrosionresistance.

Two-wheeled vehicle

Fig.6 Prototype of a two-wheeled vehicle

MIT Confidential

 : Yaw Motion
(steering)

X: Linear Motion

: Pitch Motion
(oscillation)

Fig.7 Two-wheeled vehicle: Degrees of Freedom

A two-wheeled vehicle moving on a ceiling has three degrees of freedom as shown in

Fig. 7. The linear motion provides the basic functionality of transportation. The two
independently driven wheels allow for highly flexible steering e.g. turning at a point with
little or no turn radius. This advantage comes with the undesirable phenomenon of
pendulum like swinging motion of the vehicle. Most previous inventions have avoided
the two-wheel configuration due to this seemingly obvious disadvantage. We propose to
get around this shortcoming by means of appropriate mechatronics design. Given the lack
any kinematic pitch stiffness, we can impart dynamic stiffness to the pitch motion using
feedback control. The idea of using controls to suppress undesirable degrees of freedom,
while keeping the mechanical design simple, makes the two-wheeled vehicle a simple yet
novel concept.
Two wheels provide not only simplicity but also an immense degree of maneuverability.
More wheels would mean a higher complexity in design and higher maintenance, and an
increased amount of wear particle generation. Differential speed control of the two drive
wheels can provide an extremely efficient and fast steering action (control of yaw
motion), along with motion from one point to another (linear travel). Feedback from an
inclinometer mounted on the vehicle body and from the drive wheels can be used to
actuate the motors such that the oscillatory motion of the vehicle is eliminated. To verify
the feasibility of this idea, a basic 2D model of the dynamic system is considered below
MIT Confidential

10

(Fig. 8). It can be shown that we can impart dynamic stiffness to the pitching motion by
means of a simple control system design.
x

M
F
L

Fig. 8 Dynamic Model for Vehicle Swinging Motion

Based on Lagranges formulation, we arrive at the following equations of motion:

&&
x cos + L&& + g sin = 0
( m + M ) &&
x + mL&& = F
Linearization about the operating equilibrium yields:
X
Ls 2 + g
= 2
F s [ MLs 2 + (m + M ) g ]

1
=
2
F MLs + ( m + M ) g

These transfer functions reveal that controlling the linear travel (x) and swing angle ()
by means of the driving force (F), constitutes the classical problem of collocated and noncollocated controls respectively. Extensive previous research provides methodologies to
design a robust control system for this problem [32-36]. The caveat though is that we
need to maintain close to zero, and at the same time achieve a good command

MIT Confidential

11

following for x using the same input force F, thus making it a multivariable control
design problem.

Control Scheme: Sensors and actuators

In the actual 3-D case, a single vehicle has six states: the three degrees of freedom, travel
(x), yaw () and pitch (), and their respective derivatives. All of these states can be
measured by means of appropriate sensors like optical encoders, inclinometers, rate
gyros, accelerometers etc. The system inputs are in the form of commands to the two
drive motors. A system controllability check reveals that with the given inputs and
outputs, a full state feedback can be implemented to control all the states of the systems.
Since all the three degrees of freedom of the vehicle have to be controlled to obtain the
desired system performance, the problem falls in the regime of multivariable controls.
Controlling x produces the desired transportation. This coupled with control produces
steering that allows for complex vehicle paths. Finally regulating to zero keeps the
vehicle always vertical. Thus using six sensors, two actuators, and a multivariable
controller we hope to control all the states of the system exactly. Such control strategies
have been implemented earlier in other systems [40]. Fig. 9 shows a schematic of the
information flow necessary to implement the vehicle control system.
The most fundamental requirement on controls in this case is that of robustness: the
controllers capability of producing the desired performance in the presence of parameter
variations. The obvious source of parameter variation comes from a variety of payloads
and also variation in the ceiling inclination, all of which will affect the controller
performance. Performance may be optimized using a basic Linear Quadratic Regression
(LQR) technique for a given set of parameters [32]. For handling significant changes in
the system parameters, an adaptive control strategy could be employed [41].

MIT Confidential

12

Wireless Communication

Computer
Integrated
Manufacturing
System

Overhead Vehicle System

MicroController
Material Traffic
Control
Software

Motion
Command
(Travel &
Steer)

Command tracking
algorithm

Input
Motor 1
Input
Motor 2

Pitch suppression
algorithm

Vehicle

Sensors
x (travel)
x_dot
theta (pitch)
theta_dot
phi (steer)
phi_dot

Collision and Interference Detection Signals

Fig.9 Information flow scheme to implement the vehicle controls

MIT Confidential

13

Trackless ceiling
In the proposed concept, motion of the vehicles is not restricted to any particular set of
tracks. The vehicles are free to move anywhere on the ferromagnetic ceiling. This
completely eliminates the need for a track switching mechanisms, which not only
increase the system complexity and cost, but also increase the transportation time due to
delays at intersections. The ceiling itself can be passive, with all intelligence being
limited to the vehicles. In this case, the ceiling can have narrow (two lane) or wide
(multi- lane) paths to accommodate any traffic. Furthermore, since the ceiling is passive
and nominally flat, it is easy to add lanes or branches. A second option is to have active
ceilings with embedded sensors that can keep track of the vehicles.

Elevator-free multiple level ceiling system

Fig.10 Climbing up and down inclines

Due to the two-wheel design, the vehicles are not constrained to move in a plane, but can
move along curved ceilings too, as shown in Fig. 8. Travel and steering control will be
similar to the flat ceiling case. Suppression of the swinging motion (pitch) is of primary
importance, and control theory needs to be developed to optimize the pitch control as a
function of speed, allowable pitch and climbing angle.
Revisiting the same 2-D model that we considered earlier, this time with an inclined
ceiling we find that the governing equations of motion are modified as follows:

&&
x cos cos + L&& + g sin = 0
( m + M ) &&
x + mL&& cos +mL& 2 sin = F ( M + m)g sin
MIT Confidential

14

It is clear from the above equations tha t for small angles , the previous flat ceiling
discussion holds. As approaches 90o , the equations indicate that the controllability of
the system starts vanishing. This can also be verified intuitively; on a vertical wall
(=90o ) it is impossible to influence by means of the driving force F.
Thus for low ceiling angles, the oscillation suppression algorithm can provide the desired
pitch stability. Clearly the controller has to be robust and insensitive to parameter
variations, and also possibly adaptive in nature to handle any significant changes in loads
and ceiling inclination. Using this concept, different levels of the ceiling can be
connected by means of ramps, and the vehicles can climb up or down these ramps easily.
This eliminates the need for expensive elevators, which usually slow down the
transportation process.
It is important to note that controllability decreases as the angle of the incline increases.
For a vertical wall, the oscillation suppression algorithm will not work at all. To avoid
this drawback, a set of passive (i.e. non-driven) non-magnetic rollers can be included in
the vehicle design, as shown in figures 10 and 11. These rollers provide kinematic
stiffness in the absence of the pitch control action. Estimates can also be made to find the
maximum payload that can be carried up a ramp without causing the rollers to slip.

Active (driven)
magnetic wheels

Passive (non-driven)
non- magnetic wheels

Fig. 10 Modified Vehicle Design with Passive Wheels

MIT Confidential

15

Wall side shelves for storage

Fig. 11 Wall-side storage system

For storage of Work in Progress (WIP), we propose a wall side storage system where the
carriers can just roll down the ceiling and along the walls, and can park themselves in
wall-side shelves, as shown in Fig.11. A drawer-slide type mechanism can be used
retrieve the payloads from this wall-side storage. As mentioned earlier, the pitch control
algorithm shall be ineffective during vertical motions and a set of passive rollers can be
used to provide a kinematic constraint on the pitching motion. This concept also
eliminates the need for elevators for dropping off or picking up payloads from inventory
areas. Furthermore, this scheme does not require the use of separate WIP stockers.

Kinematic Coupling Interface

Standardized kinematic coupling interfaces [14] can be used between the carrier vehicles
and the payloads. The upper plate with three balls can be attached to the carrier vehicle
and the lower plate with the three grooves can be attached to the payload. Once the
geometry of the kinematic coupling plates becomes a factory-wide protocol, the shape

MIT Confidential

16

and size of the payload does not matter as long as the vehicle can carry it. The fact that
any vehicle can carry any payload results in highly flexible system. The effectiveness of
standardized kinematic coupling interfaces is well known from their successful
implementation in wafer carrier pods in IC manufacturing [42]. Kinematic couplings
provide a high degree of repeatability and exchangeability, and are an excellent example
of hardware standards necessary for effective automation.

Fig. 11 Kinematic Coupling and Design Guidelines

Power and force requirements

The power and forces required to accelerate, transport and decelerate the vehicles can be
calculated based on payload size and desired speed of transportation. Furthermore, the
effort required in steer and swing control can also be estimated for a given set of
operating conditions. It is hypothesized that these operations can be powered by onboard rechargeable batteries. Since this is not a track-based system, power cannot be
drawn from the tracks. Furthermore, it might not be practical to lay a power grid all over
the ceiling due to safety reasons.
Higher driving forces will be needed while climbing ramps and vertical walls. During this
task, the vehicles could switch the power source from an onboard supply to an external
track-based supply, since the vertical motion is based on tracks. Furthermore parking lots
can also be used as battery-charging bays. The vehicles can trickle charge their batteries
while parked along the walls.
The effectiveness of Inductively Coupled Power Transfer (ICPT) system as a non-contact
and reliable means of power transfer has been proved in many track-based material
handling systems [11, 43-47]. Such an ICPT system could be used along the vertical

MIT Confidential

17

tracks, where it is required the most. A vehicle power system can be designed that will
switch between the battery power and inductively coupled power appropriately.

Collision detection, traffic management and information transfer

Since the vehicles are free to move all over the ceiling and are not restricted to any tracks,
interference detection and collision avoidance become very crucial issues. Various
strategies can be used to handle the overhead traffic of vehicles. The traffic can be
managed by a central computer that sends path commands to all the vehicles. Either a
local GPS like system can keep track of all the vehicles, or the vehicles themselves can
have a set of onboard position sensors e.g. rate gyros and accelerometers. Based on this
position information, the centralized traffic controller issues commands to each vehicle,
so as to execute the transportation objective and the same time avoid any collisions. An
alternative traffic management strategy could be based on distributed controls, where the
communication between various units is minimized and each unit has decision- making
capability. As the number of vehicles increase, distributed controls becomes more
promising because it relies on smaller amounts of data communication. In either case, the
vehicles have to follow a cooperative motion strategy, so as to produce the maximum
transportation efficiency without getting into any accident. Many research papers have
dealt with the problem of cooperative motion and can be useful sources of information
for our application [48-49].
All data exchange between the vehicles and the central computer, which runs the traffic
control software, occurs by means of wireless communications. A vehicle traffic control
algorithm that runs from the central computer manages and optimizes the traffic in terms
of speed and averting collisions. The vehicle traffic control software can be designed to
work with a Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) system, which optimizes the
functioning of a factory at a higher level.
The overall challenge is that of gathering, mana ging and directing the flow of data.
Clearly, the technological requirement for a successful material handling solution is not
only limited to hardware design but also has a significant IT constituent. Standardized
interfaces and protocols are extremely important in communications and information
handling. Fortunately though, enough work has been done in this area that can act as a
reference for this present application [50].

Conclusion
The magnet wheel based overhead transportation system represents a promising concept
for automation that can meet the stringent cost vs. performance requirements of a wide
range of industries. Because of its simplicity and high flexibility, it makes automation
both affordable and advantageous.

MIT Confidential

18

Previous successful automation stories teach us that technology constitutes only a part of
the big picture, and is not sufficient by itself. For an automation technology to be
successfully implemented, it has to be bolstered by standards, and justified by means of
reliable cost and productivity models. Keeping this in view, we feel that the development
of such an inexpensive and industry-wide automation scheme should take place in a
collaborative fashion so that all participants can contribute their resources and creativity.
Collaboration is necessary to define standards, which shall enable a seamless integration
and thus bring down automation costs. It also gives the participants an opportunity to sit
together and discuss the risks associated with the new technology, work on models to
predict the impact of automated material handling, decide protocols related to operational
safety etc. Furthermore such collaboration does not preclude competition. In this paper,
we have presented the basic aspects of the Magnabot system. Many different
configurations and designs using the same basic concept can be developed for different
applications. There is immense room for creativity and customization in the future.
We would like to conclude by proposing an Open Hardware Consortium at MIT, which
shall comprise of members from the industry and academia, working together in an effort
towards developing a cheap and efficient automation system that can potentially have
wide-scale applications and major implications.

MIT Confidential

19

References
1. Womack J.P., Jones D.T., Roos D., The Machine that Changed the World, McMillan
Publishing Company, Jan 1990.
2. Weiss S.A., The Automation Crisis, Photonics Manufacturing, Jun 2001.
3. Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovation Technology (CIMIT) Forum
(website: www.cimit.org).
4. US Patent 5,741,109, Wafer Transfer System having Vertical Lifting Capability, PRI
Automation, Apr 1998.
5. US Patent 5,647,718, Straight Line Wafer Transfer System, PRI Automation, Jul
1997.
6. US Patent 5,492,066, Transport System, Shinko Electric Co., Feb 1996.
7. US Patent 6,095,054, Transport System, Shinko Electric Co., Aug 2000.
8. US Patent 6,019,563, Automated Guided Vehicle, Shinko Electric Co., Feb 2000.
9. US Patent 6,036,427, Guided Vehicle System for Transporting Loads, Daifuku Co.,
Mar 2000.
10. US Patent 5,740,060, Storage and Materials Handling Facility, Daifuku Co., Apr
1998.
11. US Patent 5,551,350, Transporting System Driven by Linear Motor having
Inductively Power Supply, Daifuku Co., Sep 1996.
12. US Patent 5,511,487, Transport System with Electric Movers, Daifuku Co., Apr
1996.
13. US Patent 5,454,328, Cleanroom Transport System, Daifuku Co., Oct. 1995.
14. Slocum A.H., Precision Machine Design, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, 1992.
15. Slocum A.H., 2.007 Course Notes
16. Craig K.C., Mechatronics System Design, to be published by ASME Press.
17. US Patent 2,694,164, Magnetic Wheel, Geppelt W., Nov 1954.
18. US Patent 3,690,393, Magnetic Wheel, Guy W.K., Sept 1972.
19. US Patent 6,125,955, Magnetic Wheel, Aqua Dynamics, Oct 2000.
20. JP 60096804, Traveling Wheel, Sankei KK, Mar 1987.
21. JP 11114716, Wheel for Compact Traveling Robot, Mitsubishi Electric, Oct 2000.
22. JP 08159554, Magnet Wheel, Hitachi Metals Ltd., Jan 1998.
23. EP A20200837, Vehicle, Sankel KK, Nov 1986.
24. US Patent 3,810,515, Wall Climbing Devices, Ingro B., May 1974.
25. US Patent 5,853,655, Magnetic Wheel Guided Carriage with Positioning Arm, Baker
R.G., Nov 1996.
26. JP 62054047, Wall Surface Traveling Device and Control Device Thereof, Hitachi
Limited, Sept 1988.
27. JP 60174612, Magnet Wheel Type Traveling Trolley, Ishiwatari Koji Fujii Kazuaki,
Feb 1998.
28. JP 60149206, Mobile Device, Toshiba Corp., Jan 1987.
29. JP 62043561, Rail- free Type Ultrasonic Flaw Detector, Toshiba Corp., Sep 1988.
30. JP 07238931, Travel Toy with Magnet Wheels and Magnet Track Trave l board,
Miyoshi Motoyuki, Feb 1997.
31. McMaster-Carr Product Catalog

MIT Confidential

20

32. Friedland B., Control System Design: An Introduction to State Space Methods,
McGraw-Hill, 1985
33. Franklin G.F., Powell J.D., Naeini A.E., Feedback Control of Dynamic Systems,
Addison-Wesley Longman, 1993
34. Alici G., Kapucu S., Baysec S., Swing- free transportation of suspended objects with
robot manipulators, Robotica. v 17 n 5 1999, p 513-521.
35. Nakazumi A., Inoue T., Fukushima K., Kinukawa H., Simulation of Swing Control
System for Cranes, R&D, Research & Development (Kobe Steel, Ltd) v 37 n 4, Oct
1987, p 41-44.
36. Lew J.Y., Khalil A., Anti-swing control of a suspended load with a robotic crane,
Proceedings of the IEEE American Control Conference, v 2 2000, p 1042-1046.
37. Cho S., Ho H., Anti-swing control of a 3-dimensional overhead crane, Proceedings
of the IEEE American Control Conference, v 2 2000, p 1037-1041.
38. Suzuki Y., Yamada S., Fujikawa H., Anti-swing control of the container crane by
fuzzy control, IEEE Industrial Electronics Conference (IECON) Proceedings, v 1
1993, p 230-235.
39. Lee H-H, Modeling and control of a three-dimensional overhead crane, ASME
Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement and Control, v120 n4, Dec 1998, p 471478.
40. US Patent 5,971,091, Transportation Vehicles and Methods, DEKA Products Limited
Partnership, Oct 1999
41. Astrom K.J., Wittenmark B., Adaptive Control, Addison-Wesley Longman, 1994
42. SEMI E57-0299, Provisional Mechanical Specification for Kinematic Couplings
used to Align and Support 300mm Wafer Carriers, SEMI, 1999
43. US Patent 5,831,841, Contactless Power Distribution System, Daifuku Co. Ltd., Nov
1998.
44. Lashkari K., Schladover S. E., Lechner E.H., Inductive power transfer to an electric
vehicle, Proceedings of the 8th International Vehicle Symposium, 1986, p 258-267.
45. Barnard J.M., Ferreira J.A., Van Wyk J.D., Sliding transformers for linear
contactless power delivery, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, v 44 n 6,
Dec. 1997, p 774-779.
46. Pedder D.A.G., Brown A.D., A contactless electrical energy transmission system,
IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, v 46, n 1, Feb 1999, p 23-30.
47. Boys J.T., Covic G.A., Green A.W., Stability and Control of Inductively Coupled
Power Transfer Systems, IEE Proceedings of Electrical Power Application, v 147 n
1, Jan 2000.
48. Alur R. et al., A Framework and Architecture for Multirobot Coordination,
Proceedings of the International Symposium on Experimental Robotics 2000, Dec
2000.
49. De la Cueva V., Ramos F., Cooperative genetic algorithms: a new approach to solve
the path planning problem for cooperative robotic manipulators sharing the same
space, IEEE/RSJ Proceedings of the International Conference on Intelligent Robots
and Systems, v1 1998, p 267-272.
50. US Patent 5,329,449, Vehicle Control System for Multi- Branching Track, Daifuku
Co. Ltd., Jul 1994.

MIT Confidential

21